Projectile with gas seal therearound



1, 1956 w. M. SUBLETTE 2,759,421

PROJECTILE WITH GAS SEAL THEREAROUND Fiied July 20, 1953 United States Patent PROJECTILE WITH GAS SEAL THEREAROUND William M. Sublette, Monrovia, Calif.

Application July 20, 1953, Serial No. 369,035

3 Claims. (Cl. 10292.5)

This invention relates to a projectile with a gas seal therearoun-d, and while more particularly relating to a hand molded bullet for small firing arms, may include also larger projectiles of the elongated type.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a simple and elfective means for preventing a molded or cast soft alloy bullet from stripping or slipping as it may be ejected from a rifle or any firearm barrel when a heavier than usual charge of powder is used to produce an increase in bullet velocity; to provide for a closer fit between the bullet and the barrels rifling so that the gases cannot pass by the bullet and melt the lead or lead alloy of which it is composed; to provide a projectile with an encircling means which will eflect a cleaning action upon the gun barrel when the bullet is fired; to provide a cast bullet made of lead or lead alloy which can be fired with a greater velocity than bullets of this type as at present manufactured so that they can have a velocity imparted to them equal to that of copper jacketed bullets; and to provide a bullet made of a soft alloy lead which can be discharged at a relatively high velocity for proper expansion when it comes in contact with game fired upon.

Additional objects of this invention are: to provide for reinforcing a soft bullet in such a way that it will disintegrate upon striking the ground or an object fired upon, and to prevent ricochetting, thus imparting to the bullet a safety factor for those who are at the mercy of ricochetting bullets.

Also, among the objects of the invention are to produce a high velocity bullet at a lower cost and in a more simple manner.

Other objects, advantages, and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a barrel of a firearm showing the improved bullet therein mainly in side elevation, fragments of the bullet being shown in section to show its construction more clearly.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the bullet partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal midsection, end portions of the bullet being broken away to contract the view. The relation of the gun barrel to the bullet is indicated by broken lines.

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sections taken respectively on lines 33 and 4-4 of Fig. 2, a fragment of Fig. 3 being broken away to contract the view.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the gas seal per se.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation looking from right to left in relation to Fig. 5.

Referring in detail to the drawing, therein is shown an elongated bullet body 7 of a generally cylindrical shape, said body being flat at its trailing end and having its leading end portion 8 shaped as an elongated semi-ovoid with the narrower end of the ovoid extending forwardly, thus providing the bullet with a blunt point at its leading end. This ovoidal part comprises nearly half the length 2 of the bullet in the embodiment thereof illustrated in the drawing.

Said body portion 7 of the bullet is provided in its midlength portion with two circumferential, longitudinally spaced apart grooves 9 and 10, thus providing an intact portion 11 around the bullet between said two grooves. In a spaced relation to its trailing end the bullet body is provided with a narrower groove 15, thus providing an intact or full diameter part 16 between said grooves 10 and 15. Also at its leading end the bullet body 7 is provided with a narrow circumferential groove 17 and spaced slightly to the rear thereof with a circumferential groove 18, the bottom of the latter groove being flat and deepening toward the leading end of the bullet. Between said grooves 17 and 18 the bullet is provided with a circumferentially intact portion 20 slightly less in diameter than the intact portion 21 between the grooves 9 and 18, and also slightly less in diameter than the aforesaid intact portions 11 and 16.

The invention resides in part in the provision of a specially constructed soft sheet metal gas sealing band 25, this band preferably being made of copper. Said band fits snugly around the intact bullet portion 20 and is provided along its trailing side edge with a plurality of triangular prongs 26 which are circumferentially spaced apart by intervening triangular notches 27.

Each of said prongs 26 has a deflected, arcuate point portion 28, these point portions each being deflected first toward and then away from the axis of the elongated bullet body 7. Owing to the body portions of the prongs being inclined toward the axis of the bullet cavities are provided along the radially outer sides of their outwardly deflected point portions to receive parts of the cast metal which anchors the band 25 to the bullet. When the bullet is formed said prongs are molded thereinto and owing in part to the deflected arcuate character of the point portions of the prongs they are firmly anchored in the body portion of the bullet so that the hand does not strip away from the bullet when the latter is fired.

The trailing end portion of the bullet is provided with an additional gas seal consisting of a cap 30 having a flange portion which performs a gas sealing function, the part of the bullet which is surrounded by said flange being slightly reduced diametrically so that the flange part fits closely within the barrel 32 of the weapon, the rifling of the barrel being indicated at 33 and 34, and also at 35 and 36. No particular provision needs to be made for preventing the cap 30 from pulling loose from the bullet body, because the body portion of the cap is subjected to the force of the expanding gas.

In manufacturing my improved bullet and gas sealing means therefor, first the lead or lead alloy of which the bullet is to be formed is heated in the regular way in a melting pot over a gas flame or in an electrically heated pot. The bullet mold is then heated in the usual manner. One or more anchor bands of the type of the band 25 which has been described is then placed in one or more of the molds parts provided to form the circumferential rise portions of the bullet body, in one of the halves of the bullet mold with the prongs of the band or bands directed toward the trailing end of the bullet. Then the two parts of the bullet mold are closed together tightly so that the anchoring prongs of the band or hands used are held in place during the pouring of the molten metal into the mold, the metal being poured into the mold in the usual way. The square or otherwise shaped hold through the sealing band allows the hot bullet metal to pass on through the mold to form the bullet nose. As a result of the metal pouring operation the poured in metal surrounds all the prongs and locks the gas sealing band or bands securely to the bullet body, allowing no slippage between the bands and the bullet body when the bullet is fired.

The cup-shaped band 30 is put into place upon the trailing end portion of the bullet after it has been molded.

My gas sealing means can be used on variously shaped bullets, both large and small. The number of gas sealing bands to be used on one bullet is to be determined according to the velocity of the bullet, its weight and possibly other factors, for example, the kind of metal used.

It Will be seen that the sheet metal band 25 which girdles the body portion of the bullet is provided with a trailing edge poi-tion which is circumferentially divided into a series of extensions each of which has, in rela tion to the axis of the bullet, an inwardly deflected part and an outwardly deflected part, these parts being embedded in the'metal which forms the bullet body, so that their oppositely .directed deflections aid in anchoring the band to the bullet. The aforesaid extensions are shown as pointed prongs, but they may be varied considerably in shape without exceeding the scope of the claimed invention.

The deflected, curved point portions of the prongs 26 function somewhat as hooks and therefore anchor the gas seal band to the bullet body in a more secure manner.

I claim: f

1. A bullet body of an elongated circumferentially grooved type having a rounded leading end portion, a sheet metal gas seal band girdling said bullet body in a spaced relation to both ends thereof, said band having parts of its trailing edge portion extended and contoured to form a plurality of prongs having meeting bases and circumferentially spaced apart points, said points being directed toward the trailing end of the bullet and toward the axis thereof, and having their point portions embedded in the material forming said bullet body.

2. A bullet body of an elongated circumferentially grooved type having a rounded leading end portion, a sheet metal gas seal band girdling said bullet body in a spaced relation to both ends thereof, said band having parts of its trailing edge portion extended and contoured to form a circular series of prongs having adjoining bases and circumferentially spaced apart points, said points having body portions directed toward the trailing end of the bullet and inclined toward the axis thereof, and having outcu'rved point portions deflected away from the axis of the bullet, the space externally circurnjacent to said series of prongs being occupied by apart of the metal which fdrrh's the body portion of the bullet.

3. A metallic bullet body of an elongated circumferentially grooved type with a tapered leading end portion, and a gas seal band girdling said bullet body in a spaced relation to both ends thereof, said band having a trailing end portion circumferentia l ly serrated thus dividing it into series of extensions, a part of the individual extensions being defieeted inwai'dly and another part but Wardly in relation to the axis of the bullet, said deflected parts being embedded in the rnetal which fdrnisthebiillet body so that the deflections aid in anchoring the band to the bullet.

References Cited intliel file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

